Zoning vs. different cover vs. change transition layer

Mattress Talk General Mattresses Questions
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I started having lower back pain and occasional glute/sciatic pain last year, so I am trying to change up my mattress to find some relief. When the pain started, my build was: 6" individually wrapped coils / (2) 1" medium Polyfoam / 1/2" gel memory foam / 1/2" latex, all enclosed in zipped quilted Eurotop cover. This bed was purchased in 2019. I’ve since been playing with different layers, so my current build is: 6" individually wrapped coils / 1" medium Polyfoam / 2" (19 ILD) talalay latex, all enclosed in zipped quilted Eurotop. This has reduced the pain somewhat, but also introduced a new side edge of hip surface pain and shoulder pain. Me: 5’5 146 lb. female side sleeper.

Mattress materials I have available to play with:
6” side edge support wrapped coils in a quilted Eurotop enclosure with 3" space for foam from bed purchased in 2019 from local manufacturer (Verlo).
(2) 1" medium polyfoam (from 2019, is this too old to use?)
(2) 1" soft polyfoam (2026)
(1) 2” soft (19 ILD) Talalay latex (2026)
I also have 1/2" latex cut down to full size (2019) and 1/2" gel memory foam cut to full size (2019) that I can cut pieces of for zoning if needed.

Things I’ve tried:
1)almost every combo of polyfoam/latex/polyfoam (overstuffed) or polyfoam/latex on top of coils.
2)putting a small pillow at my waist. this improved glute pain significantly
3) unzipping but keeping in place the quilted Eurotop cover - this eliminated the surface edge hip pain, but not the back/glute pain.

Additional options I’m considering:

  1. removing the quilted Eurotop cover and just putting an extra fitted sheet over the top, and depending on results maybe buying a different cover. Is the quilted cover causing too much of a stretched drum effect? Does the fact that it’s a Eurotop help/hurt matters?
  2. upgrade transition layer? Reading lots of posts here tells me I should think about medium Dunlop latex, only I don’t think anyone sells 1", and I already have the 2" talalay latex. My original purchase had 3" total of foam inside the Eurotop, so I assume 3" is all I should put in there. Thoughts on overstuffing?
  3. diy zoning. Because the pillow at my waist seemed to really help but was annoying to move every time I shifted positions, could I put an extra layer (maybe 1 ft wide?) inside the cover? And if so, what material would be best?

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!

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Any kind of thin pad can be used in the middle of the bed to provide zoning. Of course it will technically make the bed “unlevel” but can still equalize and help with alignment

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I wrote a post here recently called topper graveyard but basically I figured out I cannot have latex on top. It seems like all your configs have latex on top.

I’m finally not having pain with 2” serene foam on top of the latex. It is a polyfoam is soft and feels like memory foam but runs cooler and doesn’t create the sinking feeling

Not all polyfoams are the same. Serene feels very unique to me. I don’t need zoning with it even though I needed zoning badly with other toppers

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Thanks for the feedback! I’m okay with it being unlevel since it seems my waist maybe just needs a little more support, but does it matter where I put the new layer (like between the coils and latex, vs at the top of all the layers)? Also, any idea how thick it should be or if firmness matters? The pillow I tried was a kids pillow, so smaller and flatter than a typical pillow, but still couple inches thick.

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I think a rug or anything like that could be used, but when i tried it i used a .5" of firm foam between the layers and coils. To help stiffen the response of the coils in that area. It would have a little lesser effect between the layers i believe that .5" of foam had a huge effect. It was too much for me. So even .25" Would have made a big difference

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Thanks for your feedback, and for pointing me to your post that I had not seen. You’ve given me a few things to consider and try! I had been considering the Dormeo topper (since it’d be returnable) but now I’m not so sure. I have not loved foam because I feel like I melt into it, but I’m intrigued by your description of the serene foam (plus the fact that it’s cool). And I have actually been reusing the same sheets for consistency as I change bed layers, but I will experiment with those now, too. Thanks!

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Hi there tstowe,

I wanted to jump in here, not necessarily with a suggestion for a solution to your condition, as you have been offered several thus far, but more of an advisory suggestion. One thing I’d suggest is making the characteristics of the topper materials, such as the foam type, fibers, fill, firmness, resilience, and temperature regulation, your primary consideration. A good return policy is definitely valuable, but I would not choose a topper mainly because it is easy to return.

It’s easy to fall into the rabbit hole of trying topper after topper just to see what happens, when in many cases the likely outcome is fairly predictable based on the topper’s design, the mattress it’s being paired with, and the specific issues you’re trying to solve, whether that’s pressure relief, alignment, sleeping hot, or surface feel. Matching the topper’s properties to your mattress and your needs will usually narrow the field considerably before you ever place an order.

And yes, sheet choice can sometimes have a bigger impact on surface feel and temperature than people expect, so it’s worth experimenting there as well.

Just an observation from what you are experiencing, if I may. I would focus on the cover before changing anything else. The zipped quilted Eurotop is very likely adding surface tension and limiting how well the latex can contour, which can easily translate into both shoulder pressure and a feeling of uneven support through the hips and lower back. The fact that unzipping it already improved the hip pain is a strong sign that the cover is playing a big role in what they are feeling.

At this point I would fully test the mattress without that quilted cover in the system, using just a simple stretch knit cover or even a fitted sheet setup temporarily. If that reduces the shoulder and hip issues, then the solution is likely to replace the cover with something more flexible rather than continuing to tweak the internal layers. Remember, everything between you and the floor matters. How tight the sheets fit, the stretch of the cover, or tautness will affect how the internal layers expand and are more forgiving or not.

Just a thought,

Maverick

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Dormeo after just one week had indentations. Foam springs do not fully bounce back like coil springs, and apparently they get permanently indented unlike a memory foam slab which at least will bounce back for a year or two.

I bought Dormeo from Costco and return was effortless.

Anyway, I hope it helps. It can be really difficult to know how something will actually feel in real life with your exact body shape, weight, and health issues from a spreadsheet approach. I found that no matter how much I researched there was no substitute for trying it out. I didn’t realize that latex genuinely jiggles like jello if you are light, and doesn’t contour well to curvy female bodies. The pushback strength of even soft latex is too much for my body so the contour gets lost. Whereas a more average bodied male would experience latex completely differently than I did.

I did try latex on its own in several configurations with different sheets and such and it just isn’t the right top material. It makes a great base though and I’m happy now with just 2" of Serene foam between me and the latex. I bought the Serene foam topper from JCPenney but it’s also sold at Bed Bath and Beyond, Home Depot, and other places.

Zoning is also difficult at our 5’5" height. You have to create your own zoning because the proportions on pre-zoned toppers or mattresses are all wrong.

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Also +1 to Maverick’s suggestion to make sure the Eurotop cover is not contaminating your experiment. Try just a fitted sheet on all your configurations before you make a decision. For example, the Serene foam comes with a heavily quilted cover that I do not use. I first tried out the Serene topper with just a fitted sheet.

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Hi Maverick,
Thank you for weighing in. My main (only) goal is to eliminate the lower back and glute pain I am experiencing. As you can see, I have tried a variety of materials and firmness levels and can’t seem to pinpoint what works/doesn’t. It is my gut feeling, too, that the cover is a big part of the problem, which is why the next thing I’ve been considering is no cover (for the last 2 weeks I’ve had the cover unzipped and results are promising). I’ll give that a try tonight. I think early on I was jumping to try the next modification too soon without letting my body adjust to it, so I’ve been trying to give every change 2 weeks (at least). Do you have any suggestions for simple stretch knit covers? I think I have to keep the bottom of mine in place because the individually wrapped coils are built into it, but I’m assuming I can just unzip/remove the top and put on a cover similar to a fitted sheet. Thanks for your help!

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Thanks for the update. The fact that you’ve seen promising results with the cover unzipped for the last couple of weeks is definitely interesting and makes me think you’re on the right track investigating the cover before making any major changes to the comfort layers.

I also agree with your approach of giving each modification at least a couple of weeks. When you’re dealing with back and glute pain, it can be surprisingly difficult to separate a mattress issue from your body’s adjustment period, and making changes too quickly can muddy the waters.

As for the cover, I don’t think you’re necessarily limited to keeping the bottom portion. In most cases, you should be able to replace the entire cover if you find one that’s compatible with the height and construction of your mattress. A simple stretch-knit cover would be a good option because it allows the comfort layers to contour more freely and won’t add as much surface tension as a thicker quilted cover.

Given the improvement you’ve noticed with the cover unzipped, I’d continue testing that variable before changing anything else. If the trend continues, then trying a full stretch-knit replacement cover would be a logical next step. You can check with @Latex_Mattress_Fact1, @Arizona_Premium for the best options in mattress covers, they are excellent diagnosticians, and can help you with the final build concerns too.

Maverick

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Oh wow I would’ve expected it needed to be much thicker. Thanks for sharing your experience.

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Good to know re: the Dormeo. It had great reviews and the foam springs looked promising, but now I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t be a good fit. I was also concerned that my height might not fit the zoning quite right and I might need to scoot down the bed a little to match the zones up. I totally agree with you about the jello jiggle of latex. I hadn’t made the connection that the latex wasn’t contouring as well to my curves, but since the pillow under my waist was such an improvement, I tend to agree. Based on the feedback I’m getting, I think I’m going to try no cover tonight and for a week or 2 (unless it’s terrible) along with varying the fitted sheet I use. Adding an inch or 2 of soft foam on top of the latex (still with no cover) seems like a good next step (if above still isn’t helping) to see if that helps with the contouring at my waist. If that doesn’t help I’ll explore adding a zoning layer right above the coils at my waist. And the Serene Foam is still on the list, if these other steps fail. Thanks so much for you help!

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I’ve taken the cover off altogether for tonight, and will keep that setup for a couple weeks (unless it’s terrible). I also plan to cycle through different sheets throughout this period. If my waist still feels unsupported, I will likely try 1 or 2" of soft polyfoam (that I already have) on top of the latex (still no cover). And if that doesn’t help, a 1 foot zoning layer right above the coils at my waist. I am more and more convinced after reading other posts and feedback here that the cover was stretched tight and probably didn’t allow me to fully feel a lot of the changes I’ve been trying up until now. Thank you so much for your guidance!

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Update: I removed the cover altogether, keeping everything else the same (coils, 1" medium poly, 2" soft talalay latex). Results so far are very promising! Right side lower back/hip pain is still there but less, and I only noticed glute pain when I roll over, but it’s no longer a constant for 10-15 min when I get up in the am. I do feel like my hips are tilting up a little, or maybe it’s that my waist is unsupported and sinking down, so I think some sort of zoning at the waist will be my next modification. I’m going to give it a few more days at the current setup.

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Nice job, keep at it, you should be fine.

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The fact that a simple waist support improved symptoms suggests the issue is more about midsection alignment than surface softness. Right now your top layers are already fairly compliant, so adding more softness will likely reduce clarity in the support zone rather than fix the underlying imbalance. The Eurotop is worth treating as a variable in the system, not just a cover, its tension can change how evenly the coils and transition layers engage. DIY zoning can work, but only when it’s very controlled; otherwise it tends to create inconsistency when you shift positions. At this stage, are you trying to correct lumbar support specifically, or are you still chasing a softer shoulder/hip feel at the same time?

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The hip and glute pain are my focus, but I suspect they are caused by incorrect lumbar support (the shoulder pain isn’t a focus). Re: the Eurotop, it is currently removed altogether, after symptoms got better unzipping it. If not diy zoning, is there something else you’d suggest to address the likely midsection alignment?

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